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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576038">Sea Salt Scented Letters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizenedBeanie/pseuds/WizenedBeanie'>WizenedBeanie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sea Blossoms [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dark Royaltycore, F/F, Fundy and Ranboo acting like siblings pog, Historical Fantasy, Letters, Love Letters, PuffyChu, Sparring, Sword Fighting, background dreamnotfound, lots more yearning in this one, not super dark but!, puffichu, yknow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:48:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizenedBeanie/pseuds/WizenedBeanie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Niki and Puffy can't stop thinking about each other. </p><p>Seperated by distance and a lack of an orchestra to sway to, they write letters back and forth.</p><p>They're both growing quite the collection of pressed flowers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sea Blossoms [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sea Salt Scented Letters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I continued it! Shout out to @GardenerGulfie for beta reading! </p><p>This time, we have a beta so we Dont die like Wilbur. Hope y'all enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Dear Her Royal Highness, Princess Niki of Misferns,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As I said in our previous letters, I really am no good at sappy affectionate writing; the muscle memory that comes from the bow of a ship doesn’t extend to the writing hand unfortunately. But, please allow me to try. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I haven’t seen the sea in weeks, far too busy with shit politics, but the ache that fills my heart when I wake to the lack of sea salt filling my lungs pales in comparison to the anguish I feel at your absence. I barely know you and I wish to remedy that as quickly as possible.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Was that sappy enough? I hope I did good.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anyway, you should send me a guide to how your cute little flower messages worked, I only remember one meaning and I’m still unsure if it makes sense for a letter. All the flowers I’ve sent will be like… an offer for the future I guess. </em>
</p><p><em>Hopefully, the whole L’manburg rebellion thing will blow over soon and Dream will calm down so I can finally go back to sea and finally see you again under better terms.</em> </p><p>
  <em>Until the waves brings us closer, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Captain Caroline Puffin</em>
</p><p>There was a growing pile of letters on Niki’s desk from the captain and an equally large pile of pressed viscarias that got sent with every one. </p><p>
  <em>Dance with me?</em>
</p><p>God, she’d love to.</p><p>Alone in the library, reading over the letter and the latest in a long line of published sea voyage journals she’d gathered over the weeks, she set aside the purple flower and held up the letter to breathe in the sea salt left behind by the captain’s pen. A deep sigh left her lips and she held the letter closer.</p><p>She really had no right feeling this much longing for a woman she’d shared two dances (and one kiss) with, not to mention the fact that Puffy was from a nation with very different interests. For the love of all things, she was swooning like a schoolgirl over a letter! For the past two months, she’d been sneaking off to the library, filling her head with romantic tales of the sea and romantic thoughts from her letters. Every single morning she’d wake up awfully tired and barely able to keep up with the politics of the day. Were it not for Eret picking up on her royal duties, the gossip from the staff about Niki’s developing eye bags would’ve surely leaked out of the castle walls by now.</p><p>Niki set the letter back down at the table by the flower and turned to check the grandfather clock at the end of the rows of bookshelves, 10:30. Alright then… well she still had some time to draft a letter back for Puffy, and it wasn’t like she could be more sleep-deprived than she already was… </p><p>She pushed the book she was reading to the side, grabbed a piece of paper from a drawer along with an ink jar and quill, and put the pen to paper.</p><p>
  <em>Dear Captain Caroline Puffin</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sentiment is sh</em>
</p><p>“Oooo who are you writing to?”</p><p>Niki whipped to the side, in the process knocking a letter opener to the ground and swiping a trail of ink on the parchment, to come face to face with a fox and a half ender who looked like they’d both spent a bit of time hunting canaries. At her sudden reaction, Ranboo flinched a bit but maintained his mischievous grin, while Fundy swooped to the side to catch a glimpse of the letter still on the desk, peering down his snout at the ruined start to the letter. Niki raced to put her arm on the still wet ink, staining the short sleeve of her casual dress, to hide the name, keeping her gaze fixed on her adopted brother and friend. </p><p>“None of either of your businesses!” she chastised. Fundy leapt back behind Ranboo and raised his hands in defense, maintaining his Cheshire cat smile. Ranboo matched Fundy’s expression and stepped forward just an inch.</p><p>“We know! But we’re both like, super curious because y’know-'' Niki's expression sharpened and Ranboo’s mouth made an audible clack when it closed. Her expression softened once more and she smoothed out her face into a kind of disappointed parent look.</p><p>“I expect this snooping from Fundy but,” she looked Ranboo directly in his mismatched eyes, “I expect better from you Ranboo.” Ranboo’s face fell immediately and he visibly shrunk back behind Fundy who looked significantly more bemused than the former. </p><p>“Oh come oooon,” Fundy groaned, crossing his arms, “You can’t just pull out the teacher voice whenever you feel like it.” Niki smirked and turned back to the desk to push Puffy’s letters under the sailing book. </p><p>“Of course I can. You two shouldn’t be snooping,” she turned back, “it really is none of your business.” Ranboo somehow deflated more.</p><p>“I- we’re sorry Niki it- … it was my idea-”</p><p>“No it wasn’t,” Niki interrupted.</p><p>“Okay yeah it was Fundy’s idea but I didn’t tell him no so-”</p><p>Fundy punched Ranboo in the arm, “Oh come on! Throw me under the carriage with more fanfare next time!” Niki chuckled and turned back to the desk, folding up the now ruined letter and discarding it to the side of the desk. After a moment of punching each other in the arm back and forth, Fundy turned back to Niki and asked, “Really though, we are curious and you’ve been like, super-duper tired so if anything, this is out of kind-hearted worrying. Who are you even writing to this late?” Niki looked back over her chair and sighed at the pair. </p><p>Ranboo piped up, “Yeah like, Fundy’s just here to be a bastard-”</p><p>“I am a bastard legally so that’s slander-”</p><p>“Whatever, but I actually uh,” Ranboo always had an air of sheepishness about him despite his ridiculously tall frame, but in the soft candlelight of the library, he looked even more self-conscious, “I thought you were probably up doing the same thing you’ve done for the past couple nights and you’ve been really tired and the maids have kinda been all chatty about it so we were curious and I’m also a little worried I guess?” Fundy elbowed him in the side.</p><p>“And I’m also worried.” Niki snickered and considered the statement for a moment, pausing to gather her thoughts.</p><p>“Well… “ she started, “I’m writing to someone very important,” Fundy looked painfully unamused and he crossed his arms again, Niki continued, “And while it truly is none of your business,” she stared pointedly at Ranboo and he shrunk, “You both really have nothing to worry about,” she finished. Fundy still looked unamused but Ranboo seemed to be a bit more relaxed at the explanation. </p><p>“Okay, okay good. I guess we’ll-”</p><p>“I’m still curious!” Fundy interrupted.</p><p>“Okay we’re both still curious but it’s fine. You, Niki, dear sister, friendo uhhh… You’re good! So we’re leaving!”</p><p>“I still want to know who though!”</p><p>“We’re leaving.”</p><p>“I’m older than you!”</p><p>“And I’m the prince.”</p><p>“But I’m older than you, I have authority!”</p><p>Niki turned around back to her desk to the sound of Ranboo reaching down and tugging Fundy’s ear to drag him back out of the library. She smiled softly as the two continued their lighthearted bickering down the rows of bookshelves and out of the door back to the grand hallways and then… silence once again. She sighed into the empty air.</p><p>The first letter was ruined, the line of the last word had swiped across the whole page, so she carefully brought out another few pieces of paper and dipped her pen back in the iron gall ink. Before getting back to penning her response, she carefully slipped Puffy’s letter back out from under the book and held it close to her face. Sea salt. </p><p>She put her pen back to the paper and gathered the pressed flower she’d picked earlier that day with a smile on her face. </p><p>
  <em>Dear Captain Caroline Puffin</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sentiment is shared, and you did wonderfully. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>My youngest brother and our charge, Master Fundy, have been quite curious as to who I’ve been spending the last few weeks writing to incessantly. Just this evening they slipped into the library with the aid of the muffling bookshelves and ambushed me to catch a glimpse of our correspondence. Fundy is a little rascal but Ranboo is a sweetheart, you should meet them someday. When L’manburg manages to gain independence, hopefully without any bloodshed, maybe our three nations will be on terms kind enough to have tea together. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s a shame you can’t go sailing quite yet, especially given a thought I had just last night. I was thinking I could meet you at the docks one day! You pretend you’re a trader ship and I visit the interior of your boat to inspect the goods. Once the goods are inspected, we spend the next hour dancing in your study and the waves act as our orchestra. What a lovely fantasy, is it not?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I really am growing a collection of viscarias here, not that I mind. I’d send the sea in a letter to you if I could, but unfortunately, I have to stick with the classics. I hope you appreciate the veritable bouquet I’m sending you, though there are far more pink camellias than a bouquet typically possesses. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With longing in my heart, soul, and thoughts,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Princess Niki of Misferns</em>
</p><p>----------------------</p><p>Hidden in the rafters of the fortress stable, the captain allowed herself to giggle at the letter for just a moment. Callahan, their squire, was growing a bit befuddled at the constant requests for another pressed Viscaria from the gardens down south, but that didn’t cross her mind for a second as her pen met paper once more.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>
  <em>Dear Her Royal Highness, Princess Niki of Misferns,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aw they sound sweet! I’d love to properly meet them one day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dream has been all snoopy too, but he has no room to speak considering he’s been all holed up writing letters to people all day too. Little bastard thinks I can’t see him sneaking off after meetings. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Gosh that does sound great. But wait, hear me out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Misferns hosts a masquerade ball, I don’t know why but just go with it, I gravitate towards the woman with the sweetest voice and the loveliest eyes and we dance off into the night. We can’t compliment the beauty of the other because horns and hair aren’t a lot to go off of so we just fall into each other’s presences. At the end of the night, we take off our masks and boom! A spark!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Is that too sappy? If so please feel free to burn that part of the letter so my embarrassment doesn’t linger till the page turns to dust. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And well… no matter what happens with L’manburg, I’m just holding out for a simple solution where invites to parties get extended to Draumurr again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m glad you enjoy the viscarias. I am indeed growing quite the collection of camellias but I promise you I do not mind. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Until the waves brings us closer, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Captain Caroline Puffin</em>
</p><p>----------------------</p><p>Holed up under a four poster bed and under the gauzy curtain, the princess held her cheek as if letting go would allow her grin to split her face in two. Reaching under her ornate dresser situated just to the side of her bed, she gathered her quill, ink, paper, and a flower to respond.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>
  <em>Dear Captain Caroline Puffin</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That does sound lovely! Though don’t be so self-conscious captain, rest assured that I’ll keep your letters as far away from any open flame as the physics of the universe permit me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A masquerade ball… Now that’s a concept. I’ll keep that in mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>General Clay does seem the type to be a bit of a rascal, a dangerous one but a rascal nonetheless. Don’t worry, if you get caught with a letter then just inform them that I’m an important dignitary that should not be questioned. That scared my brothers off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I personally am rooting for a peaceful independence, President Soot doesn’t sound like he’ll let his goal go and I wish to support his family. But that’s all politics so no matter!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I apologize for the short letter this time, I’m quite sleep deprived but I promise to write you a full book of poetry when the opportunity next arises.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With longing in my heart, soul, and thoughts,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Princess Niki of Misferns</em>
</p><p>Puffy swore to herself she was going to punch a hole through the stone wall one of these days, but with the fates as her witness, it would not be because of a pretty girl. </p><p>All of Niki’s letters smelled like flowers, all of them, and it reminded her of her! God Puffy was hopeless. </p><p>Puffy held her head in her left hand, fingers gripped around her horn and messing with the hair sprouting around it, and held the letter in her right, going over all the lines in her head again with a dopey grin. She faltered a bit at the line about L’manburg independence, but that was politics and not nearly as important as the galloping emotions she felt whenever she went over Niki’s closing line.</p><p>
  <em>With longing in my heart, soul, and thoughts.</em>
</p><p>She’d actually gone and looked up what pink camellias meant on her own time, but it was nice for Niki to just go out and say the emotions the pressed flower represented. God she was going to rip her horn out of her skull at this rate. </p><p>After giving herself an extra moment to internally gush at the letter, the swooping cursive, and the image of the beautiful sender graphed in her mind, she stood up to go rifling for some parchment. </p><p>Puffy’s room was… well she lived with Dream in his enormous (fortress) mansion and he sure did have… tastes. The building itself wasn’t ugly per se, it was actually very nice and not nearly as imposing as one would expect from the grand general, it was just very cold and not at all Puffy’s style. She didn’t mind living there, as much as she needled him with her role as handler, she didn’t actually mind being appointed his guardian. Dream could be a little shit and occasional war criminal sometimes but he was fun to hang out with, she just… wasn’t a fan of his style sometimes. So she made her room her own. </p><p>It was one of the biggest rooms in the house, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the mountains of clutter. Stacks of maps and measuring instruments and journals from her voyages (and a new spot in the middle of a table reserved just for flowers) littered the ground and tables in a maze only she truly knew how to brave. There were at least two bookcases somewhere in the chaos but they’d long since merged with the rest of the mess to seem like their own discreet piles of stuff that she truly had no intention of digging out. She’d recently prioritized the parchment amongst the mess but before she’d started writing letters, it had just been hidden under the many tonnes of seafaring equipment she’d dragged under the vaulted ceiling of her home. Picking amongst the clutter, she set aside the pink camellia, grabbed a leaf of paper, and set herself back at her desk lodged in the mess to pen back a letter. </p><p>And then there was a knock at the door.</p><p>Puffy’s face scrunched up and she turned in her seat to face the oaken door to her room.</p><p>“What’s up Dreamling?” The door opened and the heavily scarred face of General Clay came into view, holding his white helmet under his arm and looking deeply unamused.</p><p>“I’m not a duck Puffy,” he deadpanned, stepping over and past some clutter to stand by a pile of books near her desk. Puffy snorted and turned herself around in her chair, putting her legs on either side of the backrest, to face Dream.</p><p>“Mhmm sure. So! What’s up, why are you barging into my humble abode?” she asked. Dream’s more serious expression melted and he rolled his eyes at her.</p><p>“I did not barge I politely knocked,” Puffy rolled her eyes, “And,” he emphasized, “I’m here to ask if you wanna spar? I need to get better at fighting with those cutlasses and you’re pretty experienced with naval weapons and all that,” he finished. Puffy weighed her head back and forth before making a noise of affirmation from the back of her throat. </p><p>“I mean sure but what about your big bad fiance?” she mocked, “Isn’t he your usual sparring partner or is he mad that you go easy on him?” Dream scoffed.</p><p>“I do not go easy on George-”</p><p>“Yeah you do! You just never let him win!”</p><p>“Exactly! I don’t let him win, so it follows I do not go easy on him! And I’d ask Sap but he’s busy being emotional over the Badlands so I need someone who knows what they’re doing with a cutlass,” he asserted. Puffy rolled her eyes and stepped out of her chair, letting her long coat fall on the seat and grabbing at one of the many sheathed swords she kept just beyond her mountain of books.</p><p>“Yeah yeah whatever,” she clipped the sheath of the blade to her belt and stepped past Dream straight out the door, “Grab one of the blades from my pile, they’re probably better quality than your shit mass-produced army bastardizations anyway.” She walked through the hallways grinning to the sound of Dream’s annoyed protests behind her, the sound of both of their steps clicking on the stone. </p><p>Dream leaped forward, boots pounding at the training pavilions stone center and Puffy lunged to block the blow.</p><p>“God damn Dream,” Puffy huffed, slashing at the other’s side, a move which was effortlessly dodged, “don’t go easy on me now, I’m supposed to be the one teaching you.” Dream slashed at her legs and she jumped over the blade before swinging at the side of his face and he at hers. Dream huffed in response.</p><p>“I’m not going easy,” he responded, interrupting their fast-paced exchange of blows with an attempt to trip her. Puffy leaped out of the way and twirled back around to meet his blade. </p><p>“Hm?” she stabbed towards both his sides in quick succession, moving to corner him against a wall at the edge of the pavilion, “Then why am I still standing against the spookiest scariest general on the continent huh?” Dream almost growled and stabbed forward, changing the direction of their pacing and taking a chance to twirl around and start moving their exchange left. Sparks flew from their blades and neither looked anywhere near out of breath. </p><p>Dream slashed downwards, Puffy slashed upwards, Dream ducked under a swing, Puffy leaped over his blade. Dream was slowly but surely advancing them to the wall closest to the fortress, and Puffy was slowly but surely losing ground. They approached the stone brick wall and Puffy was cornered. Dream’s slashes got slower but more powerful, forcing Puffy to the left and right but never in a direction that would afford her an out of this exchange. </p><p>As her back hit the wall, Dream grinned, Puffy stabbed forward, and suddenly, Dream was without a blade. Puffy held the tip of her blade up to Dream’s throat and grinned. </p><p>“Cutlasses usually have a cupped basket protecting you from what I just did my guy, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down and start slashing to the side all over the dang place,” she smirked and Dream’s confident expression turned petulant and annoyed as she lowered the sharp tip of her weapon. “I don’t expect you to know how to hook your blade into the hilt of someone else, especially if you’re sparring like, that was kinda irresponsible of me,” she sheathed her sword, picked up the fallen blade that had clattered to the side, and handed it to Dream, “but it can’t hurt to at least be on the lookout for that. You got too confident and stopped anticipating shenanigans which is unfortunate because I am absolutely full of shenanigans.” Dream took the blade and his grimace turned into an annoyed grin.</p><p>“Yeah yeah whatever,” he grumbled, sheathing his sword and taking off his gloves to rub at his scarred hands, “This is the only kind of weapon you can beat me in a fight with though so don’t get cocky or whatever.” Puffy snorted and turned around to go sit on one of the shorter stone walls outlining the pavilion.</p><p>“Never implied I was better than it says on the tin, but if it helps your massive ego to say then go for it,” she teased, swinging a leg over the wall and leaning back to lay over the bricks. “Why do you even wanna practice with cutlasses anyway? It’s not like I’d let a baby like you on any of my ships anyway so what gives?” she asked. Dream paused just in front of the wall, weighing his head back and forth and slowly sitting just beside Puffy’s head with a look of contemplation. </p><p>“ …I’ll explain later. Don’t worry you’ll know when you know,” he replied carefully. Puffy grumbled at that. Whatever, if it was bad she’d veto it or have a word about it when it came up and if it was neutral she’d shut up about it. Whatever it was, she’d learn about it eventually. After a moment of silence, Dream cleared his throat and pulled out his blade to start polishing with a cloth. “Anyway! I’ve been curious, who are you sending letters to all the time?” he asked. Puffy’s eyes widened and she fought to keep her shoulders from visibly tensing up.</p><p>Choosing her words carefully, Puffy responded, “Just some other important person. Met someone pretty cool at that Misferns ball and we’ve been talking a little, all casual stuff.” Dream nodded after a moment and furrowed his brow.</p><p>“Huh, me too actually. Well uh, actually on the cutlass note, you and your new friend might have some issues with writing to each other for a bit,” Puffy’s brow furrowed and Dream continued, “I just sent out like all of our messengers.” That caught Puffy’s attention. She immediately sat up, pulling her legs closer to sit cross-legged on the wall and turning to face Dream.</p><p>“On the cutlass note? What’s that supposed to mean? And wait- wait even Callahan?” she asked. Dream looked up at the sky, still polishing his blade with the old rag, and nodded.</p><p>“Yeah even him. It’s just… “ he paused for a second, opened his mouth to say something before closing it, and sheathed his sword before standing up off the wall.</p><p>He continued, “Well… there’s been talk that the Badlands are gonna turn the whole independence stuff into all-out war and well,” Dream pulled out a crumpled letter from one of his many hidden pockets and Puffy’s eyes widened, “The Badlands primary weapon of war is naval forces so namely, cutlasses when fighting one on one. I wanted to be prepared because it looks like that talk is basically all true and you’re gonna be landlocked for a little while longer.” He handed Puffy the letter.</p><p>
  <em>Statement of Alliance - Lord Halo’s Decree</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Badlands hereby declare that they will be supporting L’manburg and it’s citizens in the new nation’s push for independence. When President Wilbur Soot wishes, our forces will be moved westward and our resources shared in the name of independence for this brave new state. They have our blessing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Signed, Lord Halo</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm an avid stan of woman but I am also an avid stan of Conflict.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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